A somewhat delayed start to summer—
Gloomier than typical for much of June.
Finally, though, tall bursts of blue or white flowers
That last year were fully open before school let out.
This year, the agapanthus blossoms
Have mostly evaded being snapped off by
Pedestrian high schoolers.
Per a quick internet search, they’re popularly called
“Lilies of the Nile,” even though endemic to a limited swath
Of South Africa, a thousand miles from that river’s sources.
Higher up in the canopy are clouds of fleeting violet:
Jacaranda blooms. These plants originated in Central America,
Perhaps carried northward by nurserymen, or by birds or small
Mammals. Our avenues are briefly awash in blooms
That will give way to leaves later in the season.
In less cultivated parts of the area, along canyon paths,
Thrive smaller, humbler sets of flowers–California buckwheat.
They start out white or off-white, darkening to chestnut brown as
The months unfold. Native to the region, they provide
Nourishment for small animals, nectar for pollinators,
Erosion control after the scars of human intervention.
In the councils of plants, how silly can seem
Our conceits of imports, natives, borders.
Jinny's Occasional Poems 